WASHINGTON (CNN) - The quickest reaction to this morning's unemployment report apparently goes to House Minority Leader John Boehner.

His office sent out a statement of Boehner's reaction to the April jobs report just six minutes after the Labor Department announced the news, which shows that the nation's unemployment level jumped to 8.9 percent.(Read Boehner's full statement after the jump)

"About two and a half million jobs have been lost since the beginning of the year, yet some here in Washington continue to believe that we can borrow and spend our way back to prosperity. Rather than working across the aisle on plans to create more jobs, rebuild Americans' savings, and reinvigorate the housing market, the spending, taxing, and borrowing binge that the Administration and Congress have set out on in the first four months of this year isn't helping our economy."

Washington's arrogance must be replaced by a new spirit of bipartisan cooperation to improve job prospects for millions of Americans. Republicans have taken every opportunity to reach out to the President and find areas of agreement. We offered a stimulus bill that created twice the jobs at half the price as the Democrats' bill. Our budget alternative curbed spending, created jobs by cutting taxes, and controlled the debt. And we've proposed legislation to help Americans' rebuild their nest eggs and college savings for their children. Unfortunately, the Democrats in control of Congress have chosen a go-it-alone approach. It's time for the President and the Democratic leadership in Congress to reverse course and embrace this opportunity for real bipartisan action to help put more Americans back to work."

soundoff(233 Responses)

mike

If John Boehner is not aware the employment numbers are the LAST things to change after a recovery from a recession (usually several months after everything else has turned around), then he's clearly not as bright as he gives himself credit for.

It took 8 years for the GOP to run this country into the ground, it's going to take a little longer than 4 months to fix it.

May 8, 2009 11:42 am at 11:42 am |

Liberalism.is.a.sickness

Funny how you complain about Bush's budget when your own prince Obama voted for Bush's budget all his years in congress.

Dems prove over and over again to be less informed about the issues! Most of you did not take the time to reasearch the Republican proposal before saying yes master Obama spend away our future!

May 8, 2009 11:43 am at 11:43 am |

SS

How do you create jobs without spending?????? I do not understand how some people think we can lower unemployment for free. New jobs mean new salaries, equipment , benefits, overhead and all kinds of other resources. These resources cost money.

Please don't say the answer is tax cuts. Tax cuts are nice, but for unemployed people, tax cuts don't help much. And the "trickle down" theory doesn't work. I guarantee if the company I work for gets a huge tax break, they are not going to rehire the thousands of employees that were laid off earlier this year.

If spending is not the answer, what is the alternative?

May 8, 2009 11:43 am at 11:43 am |

Qui-Tam Relator

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I have sat by for over 40 years and watched our manufacturing base alittle at a time be dismantled just like the proverbial frog in
the pot of temperate water that eventually boils. When will our politicians start to wake up and tell China And India and the list of countries go on that we can no longer employ their people because the American People come first when it involves the employment of our own people in our own country. Our Government and Elected officials should be charged with HIGH TREASON for their act against the American People ! You Folk's in Washington D.C. Should stand tall before the American People and answer for your crimes of GREED and self serving interests. The American People should be extremely angry at the unemployment rate and the amount of illegal undocumented works here in this country taking their jobs. GET PISSED OFF AMERICAN'S IT'S YOUR FUTURE AT STAKE ! NO MORE SENDING OUR JOB'S OVER SEAS AND HAVE ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS TAKING OUR JOBS ! ****************************************************************

May 8, 2009 11:43 am at 11:43 am |

Patriot1013

"twice the jobs at half the price"

Is Boehner selling shamwows?

He sounds like he should be doing those easy money infomercials.

Boehner is an embarassment to the state of Ohio.

Two words for you, Boehner: get real.

May 8, 2009 11:45 am at 11:45 am |

Chris

I love the loony lefties and the radical rights on here. Both parties are to blame. The republicans spent like drunken sailors for the majority of the first six years of Bush's term. The last two years of his term was controlled by the Democrats, who also spent like there was no tomorrow.

And to all that continue to blame that last administration for all the job loss, how do you explain in the city where I live a company just yesterday laid off over 4,000 employees. How is that the fault of the past administration? The 750 billion dollar wasteful stimulus package was going to save those jobs.

Wake up people we need to vote both parties out. This administration is running us farther in debt than the last, and that is a lot. This administration just like the last blamed everything on the previous administration.

May 8, 2009 11:45 am at 11:45 am |

John Black Hills SD

If it weren't for President Obama, the unemployment numbers would 15%. The republican minority really needs to get it together, and follow Spector away from the dark side.

May 8, 2009 11:47 am at 11:47 am |

Dave in NYC

Boehner has no idea how to create jobs. He's just going to criticize ever chance he gets, no matter what.